Toy book.



J. W. BEVANS.

TOY BOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20. 1910.

Patented June 14, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. W. BEVANS.

TOY BOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20. 1910.

Patented June 14, 1910.

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31a/vento@ WW1/meow J. VV. BEVANS.

TOY BOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20. 1910.

Patented June 14, 1910.

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TOY 1300KF APPLICATION FILED mmm, 1910.

Patented June 14, 1910.

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W. BEVANS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT ,OF COLUMBIA.

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Specication of Letters Patent. Patmtdl Jun@ 14, 19M?.

Application filed January 20, 1910. Serial No. 539,077.

To all whom it may concern: p l

Be it known that I, JAMES-W. BEVANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toy Books, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in toy books and the object is to produce a book so arranged that it may be converted into a toy theater, dollhouse or other device or representation and the pages utilized to form the successive scenes of the theater or the different rooms of the doll-house, combined with cut-out objects, characters, etc., to be used in connection with the theater or doll-house, the whole forming a complete book.

With the above object in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described, particularly pointed out in the claims, and clearly illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a View of a book constructed in accordance with my invention, the same being shown with the leaves or pages partly separated; Fig. 2, a fragmentary view showing the detachable pages containing the cut-out pictures; Fig. 3, a perspective view showing the book opened and arranged to form a toy-theater; Fig. 4, a vertical transverse sectional view showing one of the pages raised preparatory to forming one of the scenes; Fig. 5, a perspective view partly in section showing one page partly raised to change the scene; Fig. 6, 1s a sectional view taken through the closed book; Fig. 7, a fragmentary view showing a portion of one of the cut-out pages; Fig. 8, a view showing one of the cut-out characters, and Fig. 9, a view of one of the cut-out wings.

I have illustrated my invention in one of its forms, namely, that of a theater-book, but I do not so limit it as it may be embodied in many other forms, as will more fully ap? A pear hereinafter.

The book consists of the front cover 1 and the back cover 2, and a series of pages or leaves la, l", 1, and a series'of pages or 2, of which pages or leaves there may be any desired number, the pages and covers being hinged together as in any ordinary book. The ront cover 1 may have upon its outer side the title of the book or play, and any preferred illustrative or decorative matter, and upon its inner side, di-

rections for the use of the book as a toy.

theater or doll-house. rIhe series of leaves or pages l?, 1", 1c immediately following the cover l are arranged to be detached, beino perforated at their inner edges as illustrated in Fig. 2, and they contain tlie pictures to be cut out. If the book is to be used as a doll-house, these pictures would comprise .representations of furniture, dolls, dresses,

etc. the characters of the play, the wings 3, the curtain-strip 4 and the base-strip 5.Y The characters, as illustrated in Fig. 8, have elongated base-strips 6 the contacting portions 7 of the opposite ends of the base-strip being united by pasting or otherwise. Thus a firm supportingbase for the characteror object is provided. The wings 3 are formed with projectingportions or tongues 8 to engage in slots formed in the hinged portions of the leaves or pages 2a, 2b, 2c presently to be described. The series of pages 2a, 2", 2c and the backcover 2 have each, folding-portions or hinged sections 9 at their side edges which are normally folded inward upon said leaves or pages. One face of the leaves 2a, 2", 2c, and their hinged sections 9 contains a continuous scene or representation, as well as the inner faces of the back-cover and its hinged sections. The outer face of the backcover and its hinged sections contain a representation of the exterior of a theater.` The opposite face of each page 2, 2b, 2c to that having the scene thereon, has a ground scene for a portion of its width and the representation of the Hoor of the stage for the remainder of its Width. The faces of the In the bookl illustrated, they consist `of f which are bent toform substantially triangular-shaped bases,-

hinged sections on the side opposite to that containing the scene, carry reading matter, being the story of the play.

In using the book as amy-theater, said book .is placed iat on the tablel with the back-cover 2 uppermost. This back-cover is then raised to vertical position and the hinged sections 9 thereof swung out at rightangles thereto. Thus there is presente( three sides of a theater. The outer face will be the exterior of the theater and the inner face, the first scene of the play. The side of the next leaf or page uppermost will `4contain a representation of the ground for the scene displayed and a portion of the floor of the stage. The hinged sections 9 of the back-cover are wider than thoseof the pages or leaves 2a, 2b, 2c and the scene displayed thereon is only equal in width to the width of the scenes displayed on the hinged sections of the other pages and the width of the ground-scenes. The ortions 10 of the hinged sections 9 of the ack-cover extending beyond the scene displayed thereon, carry the representation of theater-boxes and this portion of said hinged sections is equal in width to the re resentations of the portions of the floor oi) the stage carried by the leaves or pages 2a, 2", 2c. These hinged sections 9 of the back-cover are not disturbed in the setting of the several scenes of the play and as they are wider than the other hinged sections 9, the representations of the theater-boxes are displayed throughout the entire play. A base-strip 5 may be provided having. notches to receive and support the lower forward end/s of the hinged sec-.

tions 9 of the back-cover, this base-strip forming one of the cut-out objects. The hinged sections 9 of said back-cover are connected at their upper forward edges by a curtain-strip 4 suitably notched and having thereon the representation of a portion of a curtain,this strip being also one' of the cut-v out objects. The scenes are set by inserting the projecting portions 8 of the cut-out wings 3 in slots 13 4in the hinged sections 9 of the back-cover and the leaves or pages 2, 2b, 2C. The proper characters for each scene are drawnv across the stage by cords or threads attached to the bases thereof. 'Io change the scenes, the characters and wings 3 are removed, and the next page raised and its hinged sections 9 opened out, new wings 3 placed in position and that act of the play performed. Before swinging up the page for the next scene, the hinged sections 9 of the page just used are folded inward flat against the latter page. Each page when set as a scene holds the pages that have been used, from dropping down, and one side of each page forms the ground scene for the scene represented on the preceding page. In order to provide a ground-scene for the last scene, a separateleaf. 14 is provided having no hinged sections.

It will be seen that I have provided a book which may be used as a toy-theater and the story contained in the book enacted as a play, and that there is combined, cut-out pictures, a story book and a theater. The child not only can read the story but make characters, by cutting out the pictures, and then actually produce the story as a play. The device does'not lose the character .of a book and is `attractive in appearance and simple and compact. All of the well-known fairy-stories or child-hood stories could be embodied in the form of books comprising my invention and by changing the representation of the exterior of a theater to that of the exterior of a house and the several scenes to the' various rooms, of a house, a

very attractive doll-house in book-form would be provided.

- Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of' the United States, is

l. A toy book having leaves pivoted at one edge in book-fashion and carrying at their side-edges, pivoted sections adapted to be swung out at right-angles thereto, each leaf and its side-sections when the lat-ter are unfolded, forming with the adjacent leaf, a compartment or inclosure having a bottom, end-walls and side-wall. y y

2. A toy book having covers and leaves pivoted therein in book-fashion, one of said covers having pivoted side sections adapted to be swung out at right-angles thereto when said cover is raised at right-angles to the other cover, tations adapted to be successively displayed in the compartment or inclosure thus formed.

3. A toy book havin covers, leaves pivoted therein in book-fasion having pivoted side-sections adapted to be swung out at right-angles thereto, one of said covers having pivoted side-sectionsadapted to be swung out at rightan les thereto when said cover is raised at ri t-angles to the other cover, said leaves an rying representations adapted to be succes- 'slvely displayed in the compartment or nclosure thus formed. y

4. A toy book having covers, and leaves pivoted therein in book-fashion, one of. said sections carried thereby car-l covers having side-sections pivoted theretol adapted to be swung out at right-angles thereto when said cover is raised at rightangles to the other cover, said cover and sidesections havin on the outer sides thereof, the representatlon of the exterior of a building, and said leaves carryingi representations f adapted to be successively isplayed in the inclosure or compartment thus formed. l

5. A toy book having covers, and leaves pivoted-therein in book-fashion, said leaves and one of said covers having pivoted sidesections adapted to be swung out at rightangles thereto, the side-sections of the cover projecting beyond those of the leaves.

6. A toy book having covers, and leaves pivoted therein,`certain of the leaves having side-sections pivoted thereto and adapted to be swun out at lright-angles thereto and others o the leaves having cut-out representations thereon, one of the covers having pivoted side-sections adapt-ed to be swung out at right-angles thereto when said cover is raised at right-angles to the other cover, and said leaves and side-sections carried thereby carrying representations adapted to be successively dis layed in the compartment or inclosureormed by the cover and its pivoted side-sections.

7. A toy book having covers, and leaves pivoted therein in book-fashion, and one of said covers having pivoted side-sections adapted to be swung out at right-angles, and means for holding the side-sections in unfolded position.

8. A toy book having covers, and leaves pivoted therein in book-fashion, one of said covers having pivoted side-sections adapted to be swung out at right-angles, and a strip adapted to connect the two side-sections of the cover and hold the same in unfolded position.

9. A toy book having covers, and leaves pivoted therein in book-fashion, one of said covers having pivoted side-sections adapted to swing out at right-an les thereto, and connecting-strips adapte to engage the side-sectionsuat their upper and lower edges for holding said sections in unfolded position.

10. A toy book having leaves pivoted in book-fashion, said leaves having representations on both sides, that on one side of one leaf being. related to that on one side of the adjacent leaf, and means for holding the leaves successively raised.

11. A toy book having leaves pivoted inv book-fashion, said leaves having representations on both sides, that on one side of one leaf, except the outside leaf being related to that on one side of the adjacent leaf, the outside leaf having on its outer side the representation of the exterior of a building,

- of said members and mea-ns for holding the leaves successively raised.

12. A toy comprising two members pivoted together at one e ge so that one may be swung at right an les t0 thevother, one

having pivoted side-sections adapted to be moved out at rightangles thereto when said members are opened at right angles to each other to form an inclosure, the member and its side-sections carrying upon both sides representations, that upon one of the faces of the side-sections being related to that upon the same side ofthe member to which said sections are pivoted and that upon the o posite face of the side-l sections being relate to that on the opposite side of said member.

13. A toy comprisin oted together at one e ge so that one may be swung at rightangles -to the other, one of saidmembers having pivoted side-sections adapted to be moved out at rightangles thereto when said members are opened at right-angles to each other, to form an inclosure, in combination with ,a member having cut-out representations adapted to be disposed in said inclosure.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature in thepresence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. BEVANS.

two members piv- JAMES H. SHELLY. 

